Many people believe that the personal enemy of Adolf Hitler was a legendary submariner, the Hero of the Soviet Union Oleksandr Ivanovych Marynesko (1913-1963), which is sent to the bottom of the Baltic Sea the ship called "Wilhelm Hustlov" with five thousand people on the board. However, according to most scholars` opinions, in fact, the greatest personal enemy of the fascist dictator (Stalin was listed only the second one) was purely peaceful person - Yurii Borysovych Levitan (1914-1983), Soviet radio announcer.
Y.B. Levitan was born in October 2, 1914 in Volodymir in the family of tailor Boris Semenovych and housewife Mariya Yuliivna Levitan. From his childhood he was dreaming of being an artist. While not having an athletic complexion, Yurii had very loud and clear voice, for which in the yard he was called as "Yutii-Pipe". In 1931, after completing nine classes education at school sixteen years Levitan went to Moscow with the purpose to enter the State Film Technical School and study as an artist. However, the entrance examination did not like his defective speech, and he failed. And then Yurii saw an advertisement for recruitment to the group of radio announcers and decided to try his luck again ... and was admitted to the group of trainees in the Union Radio Committee.
At first Levitan read a little news releases, announced on radio musical numbers, changed records, and prepared more eminent colleagues tea and sandwiches, but at nights was trying to deliver from Volodymir`s defective speech. To reach clear pronunciation, Yurii Borysovych often read the texts, even standing on his hands head down.
As one of his fellow students and future famous actor Rostyslav Plyatt remembers, at that time he was not involved in transfers, but he was granted the permission to listen to them straight from the studio. There was one meeting with him in the studio that I will not forget. We sat at the consol, the transmission was already start. At the microphone, that was standing aloof, one of the best speakers was reading – M.M. Lebedev. While my studying the materials I suddenly saw that something happened to Levitan: he stretched into a coherent, fixed his eyes on Lebedev and his lips moved in synchronization with the announcer`s lips, and it seemed that the sound would break out of his lips . And at that moment I thought: "Yes, this young man has chosen the profession for good reason!"
It is still unknown for how long would such a "career" of young announcer lasted for him if not one case had intervened.
In the 1930s newspapers tomorrow`s texts were transmitted by radio: announcer slowly and clearly read the newspaper, across the whole country stenographers recorded text, unscrambled it and sent to the press for typing. Three years after the beginning of working on the radio Levitan assigned reading the newspaper "Truth" on the radio. And on the night of January 25, 1934 and when Stalin heard Levitan he immediately called the Radio Committee and said that the text of his report tomorrow at the opening of the XVII Congress of the UCP (b) should read "that voice".
... At noon to the studio brought in a sealed bag Stalin's speech. Within five hours Yurii Borysovych calmly, clearly, in the right tone read the text. After hearing his speech, Stalin again called the Radio Committee Chairman: "Now let all my speeches and other important texts read by radio to this man." So Yurii Levitan became Soviet radio announcer № 1.
Nationwide glory came to Levitan during the Great Patriotic War. The older generation knows well the unique voice of Levitan, every word of which for many military years eagerly caught the millions of listeners. Daily radio transmission "from the Soviet Information Office" for the Soviet people were inseparable from the name of an outstanding announcer. It is no coincidence stingy praise Army General Ivan Chernyakhovskiy once said: “Yurii Levitan could substitute a division”.
If on the outbreak of war in all parts of the country people with anxiety listened to the message ("what today would “surrender” Levitan?"), soon followed the joyous message: in December 1941 - the victory at Moscow, in 1943 year - at Stalingrad, after the Battle of Kursk - and the first of wartime salute. In May 1945, exactly Yurii Borysovych told around the world about The Great Victory.
That is how Yurii Borysovych described his speech on radio on May, 1945.
"We did not leave alone one thought, one dream – when at last have to read the order about complete victory over Germany? And that dream came true ... May 9, 1945 I had a luck to read the act of unconditional surrender of Germany ... In the evening the head to the Radio Committee Oleksiy Oleksandrovych Puzinym and us summoned to the Kremlin and handed into the Order of the Supreme Commander of the victory over Germany. Read it in 35 minutes. Radio studio, where such programs were, seated near the Kremlin. To get there, it was required to cross the Red Square. But before us – was the sea of people. With the help of police and soldiers we fight broke out five meters, and then - well, nothing. – Comrades, - scream, - let in, we are in business! And they answered: "What kind of business! Now over the radio Levitan will transfer the order of victory, and there will be salute. Wait like everyone else, hear and see! "Good advice ... But how? If we slip through more in a dense environment would not get out. After that remembered: there is also radio in the Kremlin, we have to read right out of there! We need to come back, explain the situation to commandant, and run the Kremlin corridors ... Here is the radio station. Tear from the bag wax seal off and disclose the text. By watch 21 hour 55 minutes. "Moscow is speaking. Nazi Germany defeated ... ”
In total Levitan spent more than 60 000 programs on the radio. Huge emotional stresses during radio transmissions Levitan could not go for him without any consequences. He recalled that the first time he felt the heart, when he began to read materials of the Commission of Investigation the Nazis in occupied territories and came to that place where was said about Auschwitz
Yes, Yurii Borysovych never fought, but it was the Great Patriotic War ended his life nearly forty years after it ended.
In early August 1983, he was invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Kursk. Daughter of Y. Levitan, knowing about the health of the father, tried to dissuade him from thas trip on what she derived the categorical answer: “ It is impossible! I've been waiting for people! "Difficult memories, terrible heat ... After speaking at a rally in the village Bezsonivka Belgorod region on the night of August 4, 1983 his heart stopped ... To conduct the funeral outstanding announcer came tens of thousands of people.
... In 1987, the popular singer Oleksandr Gorodnyzkyi dedicated to Yurii Levitan the following lines of the song:
"I remember this terrible voice
In those historic days.
He was like the naked truth
And smoky tank armor ... "
Best words of the man whose voice during the war knew almost everyone probably will not say ...